Folks Do Get Born
New York: Rinehart & Co., 1946. Leighton, Clare. 1st Edition. 8vo. Very Good / Good. Item #15996
An important and somewhat scarce history of the lives of Negro Midwives in rural Georgia in the early 20th century, recording an essential lifestyle and history which otherwise would have been lost to the dustbin of time.
In 1926, at the age of 19, Campbell "was first introduced to the rich oral tradition of Kentucky mountain people. Between 1926 and 1940 Campbell collected stories, many of which were local variations on European folk tales, Irish mythology, and other stories with classical origins. She also participated in local events such as quilting bees, square dances, and church meetings, and even corn-shucking, bean-stringing, or apple-peeling gatherings. What she captured through her notes were stories passed down by family members who for more than a century were largely isolated from outside society.
"In 1944, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts - Fiction to support further research. Over the next decade Campbell produced Folks Do Get Born (1946), an account of African American midwives in rural Georgia, and A House with Stairs (1950), a novel about an African-American family in Alabama during the Civil War. Additionally, she published many articles in magazines and journals such as Southern Literary Messenger, Journal of American Folklore, Southern Folklore Quarterly, American Cookery, Childhood Education, School Activities, and the Tennessee Folklore Bulletin." - University of Kentucky
Tan cloth. Square tight binding. Clean interior. Mild edge wear. Dust jacket with moderate rubbing and chipping and a touch of age toning. Original $3.00 price intact. Rear panel upper corner with the numbers '4-9' in red pencil. Dust jacket presents handsomely in archival mylar.
Overall a desirable 1st Edition of an important and often overlooked aspect of African American history.
Sold